United States

NYC Residents Suggesting Locations for New Bike Share Stations

Earlier this week, New York City officials announced a new bikeshare system that will be available to New Yorkers in 2012.

September 16, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Use the Mortgage Interest Deduction to Channel Smart Growth

Galina Tachieva of DPZ argues that targeting mortgage interest deductions to benefit infill development and denser living would be an effective way to fight sprawl.

September 16, 2011 - Galina Tachieva

Feds and Orgs Team Up to Boost Creative Placemaking

Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, has long make the link between the arts and economic development. He is one of the big hitters behind ArtPlace, a public-private collaboration to foster creative placemaking.

September 15, 2011 - ArtPlace

Here Comes the Walmart Express

The megaretailer is part of a trend to rethink and shrink stores, as big boxes around the country have seen their sales plummet.

September 15, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Fed. Transpo' Extension Halted Over Bike Funding

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, came through with his promise to stop the clean extension of the transportation bill - and extension of the fed. gas tax, over the inclusion of what are known as 'enhancements' including bike/ped/livability programs.

September 15, 2011 - Steetsblog Capitol Hill

Top Food Cities in the U.S.

Travel+Leisure polls its readers for the best cities for foodies, with New Orleans taking the top spot.

September 15, 2011 - Travel+Leisure

Farm Chic is the Latest Trend in Housing Developments

In the '00s, housing built around golf courses was all the rage. Stephanie Simon reports that today's consumer wants to live next to an organic farm, vineyard or other micro-rural setting.

September 14, 2011 - The Wall St. Journal

House Approves 'Clean' Transportation Extension Bill

After a mere 45 minutes of debate on the House floor, Obama's requested transportation bill extension was approved by voice vote - unanimously. The extension will be for six months (not four as Senate committee had approved) and extends the gas tax.

September 14, 2011 - DC.Streetsblog

The "Growing Divide" Between Cities With Kids and Cities Without Them

William Frey with the Brookings Institution explains that 1/3rd of the largest cities in the U.S. have seen significant losses of kids under 15, while babies are booming in the Southwest, Utah and Idaho.

September 14, 2011 - Urban Land

Despite Ailing Economy, Manufacturing Spurs Cities' Growth

Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Titusvilla, Florida are metropolitan areas that grew faster than the national average in 2010, reports Ben Casselman for The Wall Street Journal.

September 13, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

"I Don't Believe People Are Going to Give Up On Wheels"

Michael Schrage, a MIT Sloan School of Management transportation research fellow, explains why he thinks people will never give up on driving and what he thinks the options are.

September 13, 2011 - Earth & Industry

Streetcar Manufacturers See Boom Ahead in U.S.

At least 80 U.S. and Canadian cities have a streetcar system in the works or are considering it, says APTA. Julie Sneider at Progressive Railroading says transit manufacturers are seeing opportunity in those numbers.

September 13, 2011 - Progressive Railroading

WalMart/Big Box Subsidies Don't Work, Says New Study

When governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation aren't worth the cost, says Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Independent retailers also suffer.

September 12, 2011 - Business Week

The Art of Abandonment

Artists are using the vacant buildings of the Rust Belt to create their art, and to comment on possibilities and visions for the future.

September 12, 2011 - Rust Wire

Urbanism Without Effort

Chuck Wolfe says that urbanism that can readily occur in urban neighborhoods "without really trying" as people naturally come together in impromptu ways.

September 12, 2011 - myurbanist

Hispanic Population Booms in Unlikely Pennsylvania Location

Lehigh Valley, PA, which includes Allentown and Bethlehem, seems an unlikely place to find an exploding Hispanic population. Caitlin Dewey explains why Latinos have taken to this part of the Rust Belt.

September 12, 2011 - NEWS21

IBM Releases "Commuter Pain Index"

A survey of over 8,000 commuters in 20 cities across 6 continents yields an alarming result. By and large, commuters in emerging economies face traffic conditions that are far worse than those who live in the U.S. and Europe.

September 10, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

L.A. Ousts a Car Lane for Bikes

The unfathomable happened this week in Southern California when L.A. converted 2.2 miles of road into a bike lane that stretches along 7th Street from Koreatown to Downtown.

September 10, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Friday Funny: Open-Source Bathrooms?

A yet-to-be-released iPhone app will give users access to a Google Maps overlay showing the location of the nearest private bathrooms that your friends (and friends of friends) have agreed to let you use.

September 9, 2011 - Popular Science

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.